All The Things You Are
by Marifw
Summary: Nick has two nights off and is bored out of his mind, what will happen? Slash N/G. Don't like don't read. Beta'd by the wonderful katlynn888. Ratings will go up.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

It was 6 am Saturday morning when Nick finally got home. He couldn't recall ever being this tired before in his whole life. The last two weeks had been packed with doubles and triples, and he had barely slept at all. The cases had been high-profiled and tough, and Nick felt like all his strength had left him.

First the Mayor's daughter had been kidnapped, then there was a serial-rapist going after young women in their late teens, and finally, the most resent one, which was the worst one for Nick; an eight year old boy had been raped and murdered by his uncle. The case had brought back bad memories and Catherine had been on his back all night.

When the case was wrapped he hadn't been able to take her looks and worried comments anymore, and had asked Grissom if it was okay for him to go home. Seeing that it was his third double in four days, Grissom had sent him home and told him not to come back until Monday.

Nick opened his front door and locked it firmly behind himself. He barely made it to his bed before he was in deep sleep. When he woke up he lifted his head to look at the alarm clock on the nightstand. "Oh Holy Shit!"

It was 5 pm; he had slept dreamlessly for 11 hours. He went into the bathroom to release his aching bladder and took a quick shower afterwards. After eating some breakfast he sat down on the couch and looked around. He had the night off and he had no idea what to do.

He picked up a book one of his sisters had recommended, but was bored after two pages. He turned the TV on and started zapping through the channels but nothing peaked his interest. He switched of the TV and laid his head on the back of the couch, looking up at the ceiling. When had his life become so boring? He had no one to call; all his friends were at work. What on earth was he going to do for two whole days? He was almost tempted to call Grissom and beg him for permission to come in, but decided against it. No use to let the whole lab know that his life more or less sucked.

After looking up at the ceiling for another ten minutes, he got up. "A walk", he said to himself, "I can go for a walk, clear my mind and maybe play some cards if I'm in the mood." _'Oh this is great'_ he thought, _'now I'm even talking to myself, well this is just great.'_ "Get a fucking life, Stokes!" _'Oh shit, this is really bad.'_

_--_

A/N: Hope you like it so far! Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the next chapter. Ratings up already due to some heavy language and some minor sexual things. Hope you like it! Forgot to mention that the story is situated somewhere between season two and three.

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**Chapter 2**

Nick had been walking up and down the streets for over an hour now. He was still bored. He just couldn't find the will to do anything. All he wanted was to... Shit, he didn't even know what he wanted. See a familiar face maybe, talk to someone... He had never felt so alone since he'd moved to Vegas.

He was starting to head home, when he finally did see a familiar person. He was sure; it had to be him... Forty feet in front of him, clad in tight black leather pants and a tight red and black t-shirt was his unmistakable spiky haired co-worker, Greg Sanders. Wow, it must be Greg's night off as well. He hadn't thought about calling Greg, to ask him for some company… the reason perhaps being that Nick didn't really consider him as a close friend. But friend or not, he was someone he knew, someone he could grab a beer with and talk to. He looked up again, just in time to see Greg walking inside a bar or something. Nick quickened his pace and opened the door.

'_I was wrong,'_ he thought, _'this is so not a bar, this is a club,'_ the loud music banging in his ears when he walked through the door. Moving inside the cramped space he suddenly felt old, this wasn't his type of place at all. He should just turn around and go home instead, but when he began thinking about the emptiness that was his home he brushed the thought back and started looking for Greg.

After a couple of minutes he spotted him at the bar, leaning against the counter, talking (or was he flirting?) with the bartender. _'Nah,'_ Nick thought, _'just talking, yeah of course,'_ how could he be so stupid to think that Greg would be flirting with a guy. _'Maybe because he's always flirting… with everyone…'_ a small voice in the back of his head said. Nick shook his head a few times to stop himself from thinking such things and moved over to where Greg was standing, talking (oh yeah, definitely talking) to the bartender. He put his hand on his shoulder like he had done so many times before in the lab. Greg was still grinning at the bartender when he turned around to see who was behind him. When he saw Nick standing there his eyes widened with surprise.

"Nick? What are you doing here?"

Nick looked at the younger man, his hand still at Greg's shoulder.

"I kinda saw you walk in here, and just thought that maybe we could grab a beer together, that's if you would want to, seeing that we obviously both have the night off."

Greg was still surprised by the Texans presence but nodded and turned back to the bartender to order another beer.

After paying for the beers he turned back, gave one to Nick, and started walking against an empty table in the back of the room. Nick followed him and they sat down. Nick looked at Greg, not quite sure what to say.

"So... Do you come here often?"

When the words came out, he could hear the cliché line himself, and they both started laughing. Some of the tension between them melted away with the laugh, and Nick felt physical relief. Greg looked at him for a long time, the smile still on his face, before he answered.

"Not so much anymore, I used to come here a lot, but things have been kinda hectic lately. But Eric, that's the cute bartender over there, always asks me to come, so today I finally complied."

Nick just nodded at this "So you do have the night off then?"

"Yeah. Grissom gave me the whole weekend off, since I've been working doubles all week, because Claudia, the DNA-tech on day has been sick."

Nick just nodded again, scolding himself for not noticing that the lab-tech had been working just as much as him. He guessed he was just so used to Greg being there, he didn't think about how his work-hours were.

"Okay, cool. So how do you know Eric then?"

Greg looked slowly at Nick, as if he was pondering what to say. "I met him just after I moved to Vegas, we dated for about four months, before we both found out that we were better off being friends. So I guess we've been friends for like three years now. He's a really great guy."

And just like that, Greg had outed himself in front of one of his co-workers. It's not like he hid it, he just never talked about it. For Greg, being gay was just who he was, so it wasn't something he needed to talk about.

Nick couldn't believe his own ears, Greg was gay? Not sure how to react, he nodded

"Oh, okay. So... Are you in any relationship now?"

Greg had been looking at the dance floor while Nick had been thinking.

"Nope. No time man. Between work and sleep, I barely have time to eat!" He turned his head back at Nick, a big smile on his face.

"Yeah, I hear you, man" the CSI replied. "So... No, love interests either then?"

"Hey now, I didn't say that. I always got time for a crush!"

Greg knew he was getting into a dangerous territory here, but he couldn't help himself. Nick always made him kinda nervous, and when he got nervous he talked, without thinking first. Nick looked intensely at the lab-tech, his curiosity peaked now.

"So there is someone then? Come on, tell me about this person."

Greg just shook his head "Nah ah, so not going there with you."

"Oh, come on Greg."

"Nope. I'm done talking about this now. Look, I come here to unwind, relax and dance, so I can get this guy out of my head. He's straighter than a pole, and I just don't want to talk about it, okay?"

Nick lifted his hands in a surrender kind of manner "Sure thing, Greggo. Whatever you say man."

Silence crept back between them, and soon Greg had finished his beer. He looked at the older man and sighed.

"Look Nicky, it's okay. I'm cool, okay? So, I'm going to dance now, you wanna come?"

Nick looked back into those brown eyes. "I don't dance G, but you just go ahead. I'll just order us another beer. We can talk some more when you come back. So, we're cool right?"

"Yeah, we're cool." With that, Greg walked out on the dance floor while Nick went to the bar and bought two more beers.

**Greg's POV:**

'_Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. What is happening here? Is the universe out to get me or something?'_ This was his haven, the one place where he could forget about his fucking crush on fucking Nick Stokes. And now he's here with him, the man he'd secretly loved for almost two years. This was just so fucked up. _'Stop thinking about it'_, he told himself, _'just listen to the music, start moving, and stop thinking!!'_

**Nicks POV:**

He had returned from the bar and was drinking his second beer when he spotted Greg on the dance floor. He couldn't take his eyes of the younger man. Greg had his eyes closed; he looked like he was in some kind of trance, totally oblivious to his surroundings. Both men and women tried to get his attention by grinding themselves up against him, but he just danced with them for a second before turning away and dancing alone again.

Nick couldn't believe how his own body reacted to the scene played out in front of him. He couldn't stop staring at that beautiful body swaying to the rhythm of the music; Greg looked like he was flying. Wow, wait a minute here, did he just refer to Greg as beautiful? He couldn't believe it, all he knew was that he wanted to be out there, wanted to feel Greg's body pressed against his own... _'No, no, no stop this! I'm not gay! Or, am I? No, of course not. It must be the alcohol talking, yeah definitely the alcohol talking.'_

**Normal POV:**

After ten minutes Greg decided to leave the dance floor, it didn't do him any good, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about Nick for one second. He sat down on the chair next to the older man and grabbed his beer.

"So Nick, you back to work tomorrow?"

"No, I've got the weekend off as well. Hey, you wanna do something? Hang out?"

Greg looked at Nick, knowing that this was a really bad idea, but he just couldn't turn down this offer of getting to spend some time with the gorgeous Texan alone, so he nodded.

"Yeah sure. Eh... Look, I've just bought some new PS2-games, wanna come over and have a go?"

"Sounds great!"

They stayed at the club for another hour, talking and drinking before they decided to share a cab home. When he locked himself in, Greg couldn't believe that Nick would come here, to his home, tomorrow at 4 pm. He fell asleep dreaming of the things he wanted Nick to do to him, those big hands and that wonderful wet mouth moving down his hot body.

Nick got out of the cab and slowly made his way to his front door. He locked himself in, and tore his clothes off in the bathroom. He stepped into the shower; he wanted to clean himself up before going to bed. But he couldn't get the image of Greg dancing out of his mind. He closed his eyes and saw the techs movements over and over and over. He was getting painfully hard and started stroking himself, jerking himself off to the memory of Greg's ass swaying in front of him. He came harder than he had ever come before, screaming Greg's name. _'Wow,'_ he thought, _'this really needs some thinking through,'_ he had no idea what to do, but he knew that somehow he needed Greg, and he wanted Greg to need him too. He couldn't wait for tomorrow to come, he couldn't wait to see Greg again.

--

A/N: Hope you like it so far! Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Here's the update! Hope you'll like it! Don't own and all that crap!

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**Chapter 3**

Greg stayed in bed for an hour after he woke up, thinking about the previous night. He wasn't sure if it had been a good idea to out himself to Nick, but it was way too late to change that now. He could still remember some of the looks the older man had given him after he came back from the dancing, and he was painfully aware that Nick had been watching him on the dance floor; he had felt his eyes on him the whole time. And now said man was coming over to his apartment, he was totally sure that that was not a good idea. He could barely keep his act together in the lab, so how he was going to make it through this evening without touching Nick in some, not so friendly way, he did not know.

What he did know, was that his place needed a good clean-out before anyone could come over. With all the doubles he'd been pulling lately, he hadn't had time to do anything other than sleep there. With that in mind he got out of bed and made himself some nice Blue Hawaiian before starting his task. After three hours the place finally looked liveable again. He had thrown out everything in his fridge, as some of the things in there had started to look like Grissom's experiments.

Before going to the grocery-store he took a quick shower, thanking every God he could think of, that he had woken up early for once, and that it was still three hours until Nick would show up. He went to the store and bought beers, chips and ingredients for home-made pizza. Contrary to his co-workers beliefs, Greg was actually a great cook, and home-made pizza was one of his specialities, he just hoped Nick would approve of it. Fuck, why did this have to be so difficult?

With 4 pm drawing nearer, he more and more started to think about this as a date, and that was not a good thing to think, especially as Nick didn't know that.

--

Nick had been awake since the crack of dawn, having had a hard time sleeping. Greg had been on his mind the whole time. When he finally fell asleep he had dreamt about him, dreamt about that slim body, with beautifully defined abs, the tight ass, delicious mouth and those wonderful brown eyes. His sub-conscious had known what he wanted Greg to do to him, but when he thought back at the dream, he blushed. He wondered what this was, why was he so attracted to the other man?

He had never thought of himself as gay, or even bi. He just couldn't grasp it, and he knew that it was definitely screwing with his mind. In the past he had been able to see if a man was good looking or not, with five older sisters you kinda got the idea pretty fast, but he had never felt like this towards a man or even a woman before in his entire life. So what was it? Did he have a crush on Greg? Nah, he'd had crushes before and they never felt so powerful, so what was it?

He knew it was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't get it out. Hopefully Greg would be able to help him with that, not that he knew how to tell the tech, but maybe just the presence of Greg would help. He sure hoped so, because this was really starting to bug him now. After jerking off in the shower... again, he could finally get dressed and ready to go to Greg's place. While he was driving he hoped that some of his questions were answered that night.

--

'_Nick is coming over, Nick is coming soon, Fuck, Nick is coming.'_ Those were the only thoughts Greg had had for the last couple of hours. He still couldn't believe that the beautiful, straight-laced, handsome Texan was coming… to his apartment. None of the CSI's had ever been there before. Some of the lab-rats had; namely Jacqui, Archie and Bobby. But lab-rats and CSI's weren't especially close, and the CSI's tended to look down on the techs so he just couldn't believe that Nick would like to come to his place.

He looked around the living room, trying to find any items that were miss-placed but couldn't find any. He hadn't been able to sit down and relax since he'd gotten home from the store. He felt like he was on some emotional roller coaster nearing overload any minute. The timer went off in the kitchen, signalling that the pizza was done. He took it out of the oven, it looked perfect.

'_God, I hope Nick will like it'_ he prayed quietly. He glanced up at the clock; it read 3.57, when suddenly there was a knock on the door. _'Oh My God, Nick is here.'_ He ran out into the hall, almost knocking down a lamp on the way. _'Shit, how am I going to survive this night?'_

--

Nick had been sitting in his car in the parking lot outside Greg's apartment-condo for fifteen minutes now. He had been too restless to stay at home, but didn't want to seem too eager to get there. He had no idea how this evening would turn out, he just hoped to get some answers to why he was feeling the way he did.

He got out of his car and moved up the stairs towards Greg's apartment, which was on the second floor. He tried to compose himself before knocking on the door; he didn't want to look as desperate as he was feeling. After knocking he heard some faint noises on the other side and almost jumped when the door swung open, revealing Greg on the other side. The younger man was clad in baggy jeans and a Marilyn Manson t-shirt. He looked a little nervous, but replied to the "Hi" Nick had said, before asking him to come inside.

Nick hadn't thought about what Greg's place would look like, but it was a slight surprise to find it so... he wasn't quite sure what to call it... stylish. There were three doors on the left wall that Nick suspected went into bedrooms and bathroom. When the hall opened he found himself in a nice living room, big windows on the rear wall with a door to the balcony outside.

On the left wall, between two doors, there was a black bookshelf, filled with a variety of novels, forensics journals, theory-books, dvd's and cd's. In the middle was a 47' flat-screen TV with a hi-fi stereo system below. It looked really expensive so he guessed that Greg wasn't kidding when he talked about the amount of money he was making as a technician.

On the right side of the room there were two black leather couches and a recliner rounding up a glass-table. He could feel Greg moving behind him and turned to watch the kitchen area. He put his jacket over one of the dining chairs and accepted the beer Greg was handing him.

"Wow, this is a really nice place you've got here."

The tech smiled back at him. "Yeah, thanks man. I kinda like it myself. So... ehm... I made pizza, I hope you're hungry."

"Pizza sounds great, what type is it?"

"Pepperoni and ham, it's my own special recipe."

"Really? I didn't know you could cook."

Greg looked back at him while entering the kitchen to get the pizza and two plates "I guess there's a lot about me you don't know yet."

'_I guess so'_ was Nicks thought as he went over to the couch and sat down.

Soon after Greg came back and sat down in the other coach. The pizza was really good, and Nick had to still himself not to moan when he took the first bite.

"Jeez G! This is great! What type of sauce do you use?"

Greg grinned at him and just shook his head "Sorry, man. That's a secret, I'd have to kill you if I told you, and we wouldn't want that now, would we?"

Nick just shook his head, very amused by this newly discovered side of his co-worker. "Nope! Don't want that at all!"

They continued talking until the pizza was gone, flushed down with two beers each.

"Let the game begin!" Greg exclaimed when they were done eating.

Nick excused himself and made a go for the bathroom first. The bathroom suited Greg a lot. There was a big mirror above the sink, and the shelves were littered with hair-products. Nick had never seen so many products just for hair before, and that was saying a lot, since he grew up with five sisters.

When he came out, Greg had done some redecorating. The smaller couch was now moved facing the TV, with a small table in front of it, where he had put some chips and new beers. The PS2 was ready, and he assumed that he would get to pick a game, since Greg hadn't started the player yet.

There were a couple of racing-games and some sport-games. He saw the Gran Turismo 3 A-spec and picked it up; he'd heard so much about this game, and had wanted to try it for some time now.

"Hey G, does this look good to you? I mean, I know it's not new, but I've never tried it before and..."

"GT? Yeah sure! Just to warn you though; I've been playing that for almost a year, so I'm so gonna kick you're ass!"

"Really? Well let's turn it on then, because that I would really like to see!"

Greg started the game, and it didn't take Nick long to realise that he hadn't been lying. It didn't make things better that his car was older and a lot slower than Greg's. Since the lab-rat had been playing this for almost a year, his car was updated several times, he had a garage, and way more money to buy new parts with than Nick had.

The CSI was not a very good looser, so after a couple of hours they switched to the latest NBA-game instead. This proved to make them more equal and both Nick and Greg had a lot of fun over the next hours. When he saw the clock strike 11 pm, Nick decided to go home.

"This has been really fun, but I guess I should get going now, work tomorrow you know."

Greg just looked at him and nodded. "Yeah, I had fun too, thanks for coming over."

"No problem man, we should do this some other time too, maybe bring Warrick along."

"Yeah sure, sounds great."

Both men were smiling as Nick moved against the door, jacket and shoes on. When he looked at Greg, he got this sudden urge to kiss him; he just looked so cute standing there. He hadn't been drinking much, but it took away some of the nerves, so he closed the space between them, locked their eyes together and kissed Greg softly on the lips before running out the door.

Greg was stunned. _'What the fuck?? Did that just happen?? Holy crap, he kissed me! Nick. Kissed me. Wow!'_ A big grin formed on his face when he turned around and started cleaning up. He would definitely get a very good night sleep after this.

Nick couldn't believe how he had dared to do that, but he sure was happy he'd done it. It had at least given him his answer:

He was falling in love... with Greg.

--

Kind of a cliffhanger I know, but... next chapter will come tomorrow! Hope you like it so far, and please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Here's the next chapter, this is all written from Greg's point of view. A little angsty. Hope you'll like it! Thanks to all that has reviewed, it really means a lot to me!

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**Chapter 4**

**Greg's POV**

When Greg woke up the next day he felt as if he was flying. He'd had the best dream ever. He'd dreamed that Nick was at his place, and they were having fun, and then Nick had kissed him. He jumped out of the bed when he remembered that it wasn't a dream. It had actually happened. The night before Nick had kissed him! No tongue or anything like that, just a soft kiss, lips pressed against lips. It had been so... gentle, so... caring, so... sincere.

'_This has to mean something? Right?'_ Greg wasn't sure what it meant, but it had happened, and just the mere thought made his stomach twist and caused his heart-rate to increase. _'Nick kissed me!'_ Wow, he couldn't get over it; it was a long time dream come true. He lay back on the bed and surrendered to the memory of his first meeting with the gorgeous Texan.

_It was his first day at work. He'd just arrived in Las Vegas the day before, temporarily living with an old friend from college. He had bought himself an apartment, but the place was so ran down, it needed at lot of work before he could move in._

_He'd come to his new work-place twenty minutes before his shift would start. He'd gotten his Id-card from the receptionist and was given a tour around the place by his boss, Dr. Grissom. He'd of course heard a lot about Grissom before coming to Vegas, he'd even been to a lecture when said man had visited Stanford a couple of years prior. He was a very interesting man, a little frightening perhaps, but Greg knew he would learn a lot from him._

_After the tour, he went to the DNA-lab, and started making it __his__ lab. He moved some of the equipment so that they were placed where he wanted them. He organized the files in a more efficient way and he placed a portable cd-player on the shelf and brought out some music. He'd decided to kinda slide the lab into his choice of music so for the first weeks he had it playing quite low in the background. He figured that once everybody was used to it (and him) he would gradually turn it up._

_So with Nine Inch Nails playing he sat down and started working on the backlog left from the day- and swing-shift. After about two hours, when he was done with all of the samples, he started wondering who was working during day and swing. The backlog was way too easy; it should never have been left undone. He just hoped that they had had a lot to do. Though he had heard rumours already that the nightshift was the best one, the most efficient one, and the one that broke the most cases, so he was just happy that was his shift._

"_I can see that you're settled in here." Grissom was standing in the doorway._

_Greg grinned at him "Yeah, just finished the backlog, so I hope you've got something new for me to process."_

"_You're done with the backlog already? That was fast. Good job Greg." _

_Grissom was silently quite impressed with the new guy. He had read his card, and knew he was good, but he had seen the amount of samples that was left after the other shifts. He could see Greg shifting slightly in his chair from the praise, and quickly gave him the samples he needed processed._

"_Here's some new samples for you. Page me when you're done."_

"_Okey dokey!"_

_After giving away the evidence Grissom left Greg alone. During the next three hours, both Catherine and Warrick had dropped in with new samples to run, and he had had a chance to meet most of the CSI's. While the machines were running he took a small lunch-break. This made it clear to him that from now on, he had to bring his own coffee. 'Cause the brown liquid they pledged was coffee was down right ugly. He wondered if he had time to run to the nearest Starbucks but decided against it. Instead he returned to the lab, put Marilyn Manson on, and started working again. And that was where Nick Stokes had found him, when he, twenty minutes later, came in to drop off some samples._

"_Hey! I need you to run these. It's really high-priority, I need the results ASAP."_

_Greg looked up from the microscope, to see a beautiful man standing by his desk. He was clad in tight blue jeans and a black t-shirt, showing off all of his upper muscles. But Greg was not giving up his control, just because the guy was Mr. Universe in real life. Hell no!_

"_Excuse me? Look, just leave the evidence on the desk, and I'll page you when they're done."_

"_Oh, shoot. You're the new guy? Sorry 'bout that. I'm Nick Stokes. It's nice to meet you."_

_Greg took the offered hand "I'm Greg Sanders, nice meeting you too. But as I said, your stuff's in line, and I'll page you when it's done."_

Almost three years had gone since that day. He hadn't fallen in love with Nick immediately. Yes, he thought he was gorgeous and all that, but it had taken some time. He wouldn't normally fall for straight guys, since that would only mean heartbreak, but one day, over a year after that first meeting, he knew that it had happened. It had been so gradually; he hadn't been able to prevent it.

The big problem was that he had fallen hard, so so so hard. It wasn't just the looks anymore. Nick was just perfect. Nice, caring, dedicated, honest, a little naive, and oh so straight. He'd heard him talk about girls plenty of times, and then there was that hooker incident. So Greg had pined, he'd put on the fake goofy-act, and pined; flirted with the Texan and longed for his touches. He'd make him blush while talking about anal swabs and liquid latex.

But maybe all of this could change now? Maybe his days of unreciprocated love were over with? Maybe he could look and touch and taste as much as he liked from now on? Maybe, maybe, maybe. There were so many maybes and what ifs and buts in his head, Greg couldn't stay in bed any longer. He had way too much energy in his body and decided to go for a run.

When he came home two hours later, he took a shower before relaxing a little on the couch. There were still many hours until shift started, so he tried to relax some, but his mind kept going back to the Kiss. He was so happy about it; he just hoped that Nick was happy too. That it really had meant something. He was looking forward to seeing the CSI later that night, but hoped that it wouldn't be too awkward. _'Hmm, maybe I should ask him out for breakfast? I guess we should talk about this, just to see if there really is a this in the first place. Yeah, breakfast sounds great. Not to pushy, but it could still be regarded as a date. Maybe not a good idea to tell Nicky that. Oh, shit, I hope he doesn't freak out.'_

--

When Greg came in to the lab that night, he had decided to forget all about the buts and what ifs. Instead he lingered on the thought that Nick had kissed him. And with that on his mind, he had an extra bounce in his step and a little spark in his eyes while he made his coffee and got ready for the shift. He sat down in his lab and started working on the usual amount of backlog from the other shifts, Sleepwalker by Nightwish blasting from the CD-player.

It was a busy night, the CSI's running in and out of his lab asking for they're results constantly. There were so many cases; most of the guys were working solo. Four hours into the shift he still hadn't seen Nick, but he guessed he was out on a scene somewhere, gathering samples for him to run. _'Hmm, maybe I should move him up in line this time. Just as a small retribution for yesterday.'_ Greg smiled when he thought about it, and suddenly that familiar voice sounded outside his lab.

Greg moved his head up from the microscope, eager to see the man who holds his heart. He saw him in the hall, talking intently to Grissom, showing some photos that were in his hand. Greg waited for the moment when Nick would look his way, but it never happened. Nick just continued to talk to Grissom, without a single glance on the lab-tech. And then he was gone.

Greg frowned a little, but just shrugged it off. He knew Nick got very concentrated and dedicated when he was working on a case, so he guessed he just didn't know where he was. _'Well, at least he's not out on a scene anymore. So he'll be coming around with something for me to run, soon enough.'_

--

Hours went by, and the Texan had yet to make his presence at the DNA-lab. The end of shift was coming soon, and Greg started to feel his good mood evaporate. He had seen Nick through the glass several times, but the older man hadn't looked at him once. And this was not normal Nick-behaviour. Usually he would stop by, even though he had nothing for him. Just to say hi, or talk about the latest football-game, though he knew that Greg was no way near interested in sports.

He started to get a bad feeling now; it really felt like Nick was avoiding him. _'Fuck! I guess he is freaking out then. Or maybe it just didn't mean anything.'_ He could feel himself getting tired and sad. He had tried to keep his hopes down, but the truth hurt him still. _'Why did he do it then? Was he only playing with me? God, why is this so fucked up? I hate this.'_

By the end of shift, he dragged himself to the locker-room, hung up his lab-coat, took his car-keys and wallet, and left the lab. Outside in the parking lot he could see that Nick's car was still there, but that didn't lighten his mood anymore. He drove home in silence; he couldn't even stand listening to music at that moment. When he was finally home, he lay down on his bed, and cried himself to sleep, too sad and tired to try to stop the tears.

--

Next chapter will be Nick's view on the same day. Please review, I love to hear what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

I decided to update the story right away, so you don't have to wait for Nick's POV on the day. Here it is! Hope you like it!

--

**Chapter 5**

**Nick's POV**

When Nick woke up the next day his mind was on overload. He had no idea what to do with all the thoughts and feelings he experienced. He didn't know what to think about yesterday. He had kissed Greg, he had kissed a man. And it had felt good, nothing like kissing a woman. The feelings were a lot stronger than he had ever felt before. And the kiss… Holy crap! The kiss had made him see stars and the butterflies in his stomach had felt like small explosions.

When he came home the day before, he had gone straight to bed. Not that that had made any difference. He hadn't been able to keep his mind off of Greg. He had dreamed about the tech all night, dreams that still made him blush.

But this was not possible. He could not think about a man like that, he could not have feelings like this towards another man. It was just not possible. _'And why is that?'_ the small voice in the back of his head said.

"I'm not gay. I'm straight for crying out loud!"

'_Really?' _the voice continued. _'Then why do you get hard just thinking about Greg? Why do you stop by the DNA-lab fifty times a night, even though you have nothing for him to process? Why do you always touch him? Maybe you're just scared? Scared of your own feelings. Scared of what your parents will say, or how about your brother and sisters?'_

"I'm not gay damnit! Stop talking!"

But the voice did make him think. He thought that his mother would handle it. She would not be happy about it, she would probably cry about it, but she would still love him, no matter what. His father on the other hand, he would probably disown him or worse, beat the shit out of him. He had been around his father enough to know that he hated homosexuals. The hate went through all his bones, and Nick doubted that this would change just because his son was gay. _'What the fuck? I'm not gay! This is all hypothetically, of course it is.'_

So continuing this hypothetically line of thoughts. His brother William would absolutely kill him. Laura he wasn't so sure about. With ten years apart, and little in common, they had never been close, but he still thought she could handle it. Stacey and Angela would probably be right next to Will when he killed him. The only ones he was sure would support him, were his twin-sisters M.J. and Jenny. They were only two years older than him, and the ones he felt closest to, out of all his siblings.

To sum it down; if he hypothetically came out as gay; three of his siblings would kill him, two would support him, one would maybe handle it, his father would never talk to him again and his mother would cry every time she saw him. Now that was a really good prospect. _'Good thing I'm not gay then.'_

But the voice was right. He did like to see Greg a lot during his shift. If he had a bad case, he knew that just talking to Greg for two minutes always made his mood change. But it didn't need to have something to do with love. Nope. It was just that Greg was always in a good mood, always happy. So when Nick felt drained of all his strength, he went into the lab and re-charged his battery on some of Greg's energy. Maybe that was it; Greg was his own personal re-charger. _'Maybe if I start calling him a friend now, that will help me loose these feelings.'_

The only problem was that the feelings he had, wasn't feelings towards a friend. Warrick was his friend, and he had never felt like this with him. _'Oh shit. Wonder what Warrick would think if I told him I'm gay.'_ He couldn't quite picture it, but he was sure he would loose the friendship.

And that was something he didn't want. He didn't want to loose his family, he didn't want to loose his friends. If he had to sacrifice his own happiness to keep them, he would do it in a heartbeat. _'Or would I? Don't I deserve to be happy too?'_

'_Of course you do'_ the little voice said._ 'So what is it that makes you happy?'_

Nick pondered that for a while. Well… his family made him happy, even though he felt a little like the fifth wheel when he was with them. All his siblings were married or in a steady relationship and most of them had kids. Sometimes he felt a little jealous of them, he also wanted someone to love and come home with after a long day at work.

His friends made him happy. He and Warrick always did a lot of fun together. But when he thought about it, he really didn't have many friends. With the hours he was working, he just didn't have the time and energy to make friends outside the lab. And last; Greg made him happy. All the goofy stuff he said, and the clothes he wore. Nick knew that just one look would lift his mood and make him forget about the bad world outside the lab.

'_I guess that's it then; you have to choose. Either you keep your family, or you get out of your shell and try to make some happiness for yourself.'_ Nick didn't like that thought, but he knew the little voice was right again. It was just a terrible choice.

--

When Nick stepped into the lab later that night, he had made his choice. The right one, or at least he thought so. He wasn't going to loose his family over this. This being-in-love-with-Greg-thing was so new, he was sure he could just as easily fall out of love. All he had to do was avoid the DNA-lab as much as he could. Stop going in there to talk about the weather or something equally stupid. Not a big deal, actually, this would be a piece of cake!

He went to the break room and greeted Catherine and Warrick who were already there. Minutes after Grissom came with the assignments.

"Okay, listen up guys. It's Sara's night off, and a busy night, so you're all working solo tonight. Warrick you have a B&E at the Mirage, Catherine you have an assault on UNLV and Nick you have a B&E in Summerlin. Get to work people! I'll be in my office doing paperwork if you need me."

Nick was really excited to be working solo, even though it was only a B&E. Grissom hardly ever would let him work solo, so he would really take care of this chance to show him he could handle it. When he walked through the lab on his way out, he could see Greg working in his lab. Some loud music was blasting and he could see the tech smiling to himself even when he looked down the microscope. He looked happy, maybe even happier than usual.

Looking at the Californian almost made him regret the decision he had made. Just one look and he was lost again. _'Fuck! Stop thinking like that. Stop looking, and get the hell out of here.'_ He turned his gaze towards the front door, and almost ran out of the lab. This would obviously be harder than he had initially thought.

--

The shift had been horrible. He was happy that there was no evidence for him to give to Greg, and that the case had been easy to solve. It had been an insurance-fraud, the husband's company was struggling and he had tried to get some money from the insurance-company by trying to 'steel' some pricey paintings. The case had been clear and the husband had admitted the fraud immediately when he was faced with the evidence.

Still, the night had been horrible. Not being able to see or talk to Greg had been worse than he had thought. And listening to Catherine and Warrick talking about how happy the lab-tech looked at the start of the shift, in contrast to how sad he looked now at the end of it, made him feel twice as guilty. He felt guilty for kissing him, and guilty for avoiding him afterwards.

Looking at the evidence; Greg's sudden happiness and sadness, led him to believe that he, Nick, was the tech's secret crush. This thought did not help him at all. '_Greg must think that I'm playing with him. First the kiss, and now… nothing.'_ He felt really poor for the guy. _'I have to talk to him. Let him know why this has happened. Yeah, that's it. I'm going to talk to him.'_

With that on his mind he went out to look for the younger man. He couldn't see him anywhere. Looking at his watch told him why, the shift had ended half an hour ago. Greg had gone home. _'Shoot. A well, I'll just talk to him tonight, or maybe ask him to come to breakfast with me tomorrow.'_ That could work. All he needed to do, was talk to Greg, and explain to him why they never could be together. Piece of cake. So why didn't it make him feel better?

--

Please review! Next chapter will be posted tomorrow!


	6. Chapter 6

Here's the next chapter! Thanks for all your reviews they mean a lot to me! So; enjoy!

--

**Chapter 6**

Nick didn't talk to Greg that night or the night after. There had been so much to do; he just hadn't had the time. Or maybe it was because he chickened out every time he was in the lab alone with the tech. It could also be because Greg refused to look at him when he came in. The Californian would just tell him to leave the evidence on the table and he would page him when it was done.

He also saw that he got his results considerably slower than the other CSI's. He knew that Greg kept doing his samples last, even though he delivered them before anyone else. Catherine, Sara and Warrick always got their results before him; it hadn't been like that before this whole mess had happened. He knew he had to talk to Greg, and he had to do it fast.

On the fourth night a.k. (After Kiss) Nick decided that enough was enough. He was sitting in the break-room and listened to the others talk. It was a slow night and they were talking about Greg. They couldn't believe how sad he looked and how he would snap at them when they talked to him. Sara had asked him what was wrong, but he had just ushered her out of the lab, refusing to talk about it.

Hearing this, Nick felt even guiltier. He had seen the sadness that surrounded the lab-tech, seen him gaze into the air with those big, brown, beautiful eyes.

'_This is all my fault; I have to make it right now.'_

He excused himself to the others and walked over to the lab. When he entered the lab, Greg still wasn't looking at him.

"If you got something for me to process, just leave it on the table and I will page you when I'm done."

"G, please, will you just look at me? I don't have anything for you. I… I just need to talk to you."

Greg was still looking down the microscope. His heart was bleeding and he didn't want to hear what the Texan had to say.

"Just leave it Nick. I can't do this anymore."

"Please Greggo, please just look at me. I really need to talk to you."

Hearing the familiar nickname, Greg looked up at the CSI and saw so many emotions in his eyes. Sadness, pity, regrets and maybe, just maybe, some love. Nick almost jumped when he locked eyes with Greg. The sadness and anger was too much to bear.

"Fine. Go ahead. Talk."

"Not here, not now." Nick pleaded with him now. "Please, can we have breakfast together after shift? Please G."

Greg shrugged his shoulders. "Fine, whatever. Now get out of here."

Nick quickly left the lab. His mood was a little lighter. At least he had gotten Greg to talk to him. All he had to do was explain the situation, he was sure the tech would understand. The only problem now was that over the last few days, he had gotten less and less sure that his choice was right. Seeing that sadness and anger in Greg's eyes was something he hoped he didn't see again. He so wanted to be the man that took away all of that. He wanted to be the one to make Greg happy.

Greg wasn't sure what to think about this. These last shifts had been miserable. With Nick avoiding him, and the other tech's and CSI's all hovering over him, he had felt terrible. He was sure the Texan had feelings for him, but suspected that he was deep, deep inside the closet. Maybe this breakfast-thing could give him some answers. He really hoped so, 'cause he was going mad here.

--

The fourth night a.k. was the longest Nick had ever experienced. He had been out on one case during the night, a case that was wrapped after half an hour since the perp was found on the scene and all the evidence backed up the story.

He was kinda happy that there wasn't much to do, because he hadn't been able to keep his mind off the upcoming breakfast with Greg. He was still having second, third and fourth doubts about his choice. Looking at the lab-tech made everything more difficult. The look of sadness and anger was still haunting him.

--

In the lab, Greg also had some problems with focusing. He just couldn't stop from wondering what the Texan would say to him. He desperately tried to keep his hopes down, but he had loved the man so long, it was hard not to look forward to some alone time with the CSI.

On the other side; why had Nick treated him so badly these past several days (or rather nights)? It was Nick that had initiated the kiss. It was Nick who had started avoiding him after that. It was Nick who could hardly stand to watch him or talk to him when he stopped by with evidence. He hadn't tried to talk to him before this night.

He had tried to make Nick angry with him; tried to force the man to talk to him. He knew it was kind of childish to put Nick's evidence constantly last, but it had been meant to be noticeably deliberate. He had really tried to make the Texan say something. It hadn't worked though. Nick hadn't said anything, even though it was obvious what Greg was doing.

He didn't know why, but this actually made him even angrier. He felt like Nick was somewhat patronising him, feeling pity for him, and this was not something he wanted. He was so angry he felt like trashing the lab and screaming from the top of his lungs. However he didn't want a lawsuit, so he did those things inside his head. Imagined tipping cabinets over and throwing the GCMS to the ground and stomping on it, ripping results up and throwing them in the trash. It was a good thing that his imagination was great.

--

The shift was finally finished, and Nick quickly went to the locker room, eager to get out of the lab. He still had no idea what to say to Greg, but he hoped the words would come to him eventually. When he entered the room, Greg was sitting on the bench, putting his shoes on. The tech looked away when he saw Nick; the tension between them was hard on both men. Nick walked up to his locker and changed his clothes before turning towards the younger man.

"I was thinking… maybe we could have breakfast at my place. I guess it would be easier to talk there."

Greg looked at him for a minute before he nodded, then he stood up and walked out of the locker room. Nick quickly followed him. Outside they went for their cars and drove of.

--

When they arrived at Nick's house, Nick had started doubting that this was a smart move. Yes it would be easier to talk when they were in the privacy of his home, but at the same time, it could be totally awkward and make the tension even worse. It was too late now anyway. He could see Greg waiting outside, so he got out of the car and went over to unlock the front door.

Greg had still not said a word since earlier that night. Inside, the lab-tech went over to the couch and sat down. Nick went to the kitchen and started to make some food. Greg had only nodded when he had asked if egg, bacon, and toast were okay.

When the food was done, they both ate in silence. There was nothing of the easy-going fun they had had during their last meal together. Nick had no idea what he should say or do, and Greg was pining. He just wanted to touch the older man, make him smile at him. Being this close, and still so far away was killing him. With the food devoured, Greg leaned back on the couch and looked at Nick expectantly.

"Okay Nick. I'm here. You wanted to talk, so talk."

Nick almost jumped when he heard the tone of Greg's voice. It was so flat, no emotions were allowed out. He glanced at the Californian and the words were caught in his mouth.

"I… Look… It's just… Eh… Fuck. I'm sorry G. I'm really truly sorry. I never… I didn't want for this to happen. I'm just… I don't know."

"You're sorry? For what? For kissing me? Or for hurting me?"

"I don't know. Both I guess… Or not really. Jeez Greggo. I'm just so screwed up right now. I never meant to hurt you, please; you gotta believe me on that."

Nick looked at Greg now, pleading him to understand. He needed him to know that he didn't want to hurt him, he cared for him… he liked him… he loved him.

"Okay, I believe you. You never meant to hurt me. Then why did you?"

"I don't know. It's just… complicated."

"Do you want to know what I think?" Seeing Nick nod, Greg continued.

"I think you're scared. You've never had feelings for another man before, and you don't know how to handle it. You're scared for what your family might say. I know you're from Texas, and it's not the state that is most friendly against homosexuals. You've probably grown up in a homophobic home, and you're scared you'll loose your family if you act up on the feelings you have for me."

With a sigh, Greg leaned forward, closer towards the Texan.

"I know you Nicky. You are that kind of man that would sacrifice your own happiness and future for those you love. And it's not right Nick. You can't go trough life, always putting yourself second. You should think of yourself from time to time, or you will die inside. So tell me Nicky, am I close?"

Nick couldn't believe how Greg could know all of this; it was exactly how he felt. On Sunday, he had felt alive for the first time since he was a kid. And during the last few days, he had felt like he was dying. He couldn't give Greg a reply; he had lost the ability to make sentences.

"I guess I am right then. Look Nicky. Just answer me one question, and I'll be off your back. I guess you've figured out that you're my crush. It's true. I'm deeply in love with you Nick. Just tell me that you don't have feelings for me, and I'll never mention it again."

"I… I don't… I can't do that Greg. I mean. I do… have feelings for you. But I can't…"

Greg was looking intently at Nick now. The emotions were playing in the Texans face. He looked so sad and lonely, like a lost puppy. Greg just wanted to give him a big hug, but thought that that would be a little too much for the older man.

"That's what I thought. As I said, I love you Nicky. I have for a long time now. I know that we're right for each other. If one little kiss can make such sparks, then think about the rest. I'm not promising you a perfect future, but I can promise you a lot of happiness and love. Please. Just think about it. Let's give it a try."

With those words Greg got up and went to sit next to Nick. He took his hand and caressed it. When the CSI looked up he could feel the techs breath on his face. The inches between them were slowly closed by the Californian.

Their second kiss was a little firmer, a little more demanding than the first one. Nick could feel the sparks and he felt like he would pass out any minute. When he felt Greg's tongue on his lips he only hesitated for a second before granting access. When their tongues met for the first time, a small moan escaped both men's lips. The taste of the other was making their minds spin.

Just as soon as the kiss had started, it was over. Greg looked at Nick one last time before he got up and left the house. He turned around in the doorway.

"Think about it. Feel it. Please Nicky… I love you."

After the tech had left, Nick paled when reality hit him. The kiss had made him so happy and so content. He knew now that he didn't want to live without it. He couldn't live without Greg in his life. For the first time, Nick would put his own happiness in front of other people. _'Wow, I guess I am gay then. Now that's a mind-turner for you.'_

--

Now what? Next chapter will come tomorrow! Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Next chapter! A huge thanks to all who have reviewed; it means a lot to me! Enjoy this part!

--

**Chapter 7**

Nick was sighing inside when he looked around the scene. It was five hours into his shift and he hadn't had the chance to talk to Greg yet. The minute he had stepped into the lab at the start of shift, Grissom had ushered him out again. There had been a big accident on the freeway with fifteen cars involved. So far seven people were dead, three were barely alive, and eighteen had minor injuries.

The scene looked like a war-zone with body bags and car parts all over. Nick had been on the road trying to save all the evidence so the road could be opened again. It was the main road from Henderson to Vegas, and the sheriff was pressuring the CSI's to clear it. With the last piece bagged, Nick made his way over towards Grissom.

"The road's clear now Griss. I've bagged every piece and put it in the truck. Is there anything else you need me to do here, or can I go back to the lab now?"

"No, I think we're done here for now. I'll notify the sheriff that the road is clear; I bet he'll be happy. Go to the lab, I'll be in soon."

Nick nodded and headed to the truck. He could feel the tension in his back lift as he thought about who he would meet back at the lab. He couldn't wait to see Greg, to let him know what life-altering decision he had made. Thinking about the lab-tech made him smile. As it always did.

-----

Thirty minutes later he was at the lab. After several turns all the evidence was finally moved from the truck into the evidence room. When the truck was parked, Nick decided to take a small coffee break before logging. He went into the break room and was lucky to find a new pot of Greg's Blue Hawaiian. He poured himself some of the delicious liquid before moving towards the DNA-lab, bringing with him a cup for the tech as well.

Inside the lab Greg was busy processing the samples from the accident. He had been swamped with work and was happy to see Nick standing in the doorway with two cups of coffee in his hand. He stood up and took one of the cups from the Texan.

"Now that looks wonderful, thanks babe."

With a look of pure bliss he sat back down and sipped to his coffee. Nick was still blushing from the endearment, but managed to compose himself at last and enter the lab. Both men were sipping at their coffee, the silence between them was relaxing, not tense as it had been the last couple of days.

"I've been thinking. About what you said yesterday. You're right. You were right about everything you said. I want to be happy, I really do. Will you help me?"

Greg looked up; the words from the older man were both surprising and not surprising. He had believed that he would manage to get Nick to give in some time; he just hadn't believed it to happen this fast.

"So what are you saying Nicky? Are you willing to give it a try? Give us a try?"

"Yes. I want this. I can't stop thinking of you G, I need you so badly. Please?"

"I'm all yours, this hasn't changed since yesterday. I'm thrilled that you want this as much as I do."

"Yeah. So how do we do this? What do we do now? This is new to me G."

"I know Nick. We'll take it slow, okay? Let's just start out with a date. Sounds okay?"

Nick visibly relaxed when he heard the tech say that they'll take it slow. He had been very confused when thinking about what to do next, but he decided to just follow Greg. He trusted the man, and knew that he wouldn't do anything Nick wasn't ready for.

"Okay, sounds great. When's your next night off? Mine's tonight."

"Aww, shoot. Mine's Sunday."

"Oh. Hmm… I think Warrick got Sunday off, I'll just ask him to switch. Could you just continue to look sad and snap at people? I'll just say that I'm taking you out to cheer you up."

"Sure thing. I better get back to work, thanks for the coffee. Let me know how things turn out."

When Nick left the lab he felt ten pounds lighter and a lot happier than he had been in a long time. Now, all he needed to do was to make Warrick switch days off with him. He didn't think that would be so hard, who would turn down an offer of Saturday night off? Not Warrick for sure.

-----

One hour later Nick was in the garage trying to piece the different cars together. He knew now what had started the crash, he just didn't know why. The driver of a SUV had lost control, causing the car to move over to the opposing lane where it hit a Toyota Corolla dead on. The Corolla had pushed the SUV back, which had made the cars behind collide with the two first vehicles. Now all he needed to find out was why the driver had lost control, whether it was by accident or mal treatment. Nick was lying under the SUV when Warrick came in.

"Hi man! How you doing? Need any help?"

Nick rolled out and looked up at his friend. "No thanks man. I think I'm done now."

"Yeah? Well that's cool. So you know the cause then?"

"I think so. From what I can see, the DSC somehow malfunctioned causing the driver to loose control. You should never trust the technology too much. He was also over-speeding, so I guess there's a string of causes."

"Damn. I'm done trusting the car, that's for sure. From now on I only trust myself. So what are doing on your night off?"

"Oh yeah. I wanted to talk to you about that. Would you mind swapping nights with me?"

"What? You want to swap a Saturday against a Sunday? Why?"

"I was thinking about Greg being a little out of the ordinary lately. I know he's got Sunday off and just thought I could get him to talk to me if we're without the pressure of having to go to work two hours later. I'm kinda worried about him."

"I know what you mean. I just came from his lab. He threw me out of there, yelling at me that he would page me when the results were done. If you can get him back to that usual happy mode, please do. 'Cause I don't like this new grumpy guy."

"Yeah, well I'll try anyway. So you're cool with switching nights off?"

"Totally man. Have fun trying to figure Sanders out tomorrow!"

Nick shrugged his shoulders with a laugh, and left the garage searching for Grissom. After reporting his findings he walked over to the DNA-lab to tell Greg the good news. He frowned when the tech didn't lift his eyes from the microscope, but laughed when he saw the earplugs in Greg's ears. Grissom had obviously gotten fed up with the loud music and told the Californian to keep it off. Nick walked over to the desk and tapped the tech on the shoulder, causing the younger man to jump.

"Fuck! You scared me man. You shouldn't sneak up on people like that." Greg removed his earplugs and the surprised look on his face quickly turned into a big grin.

"I was sneaking up on you? I've been standing here waving my hands for five minutes; you could just work without music you know."

Greg looked aghast by the idea and put one hand over his heart. "Oh man, are you trying to give me a freaking heart attack here? That's one lame joke cowboy. Anyway… What's up?"

Nick was still grinning because of the others very childish act. "I talked to Warrick. He was cool with switching, so I'm game."

"Yeah?" The Californian suddenly became serious. "Great! I'll make all the plans okay? Just be at my place at 6 pm on Sunday."

"Okay. I'm a little anxious about this, I just don't want to mess anything up. So what kind of date will it be? What should I wear?"

"Don't worry about it, everything will be fine. I promise. Just wear some nice casual clothes. It won't be that fancy."

"I can do that. So… I'm off now. Grissom let me go a little early. I guess I'll see you at work tonight."

"You sure will! Bye Nick, sleep well and sweet dreams." The tech moved closer, his mouth almost at the Texans ear now. "Hopefully about me! I'll definitely be dreaming about you!"

Whit that Greg turned around to continue working. He had once again managed to make the older man speechless. Nick could feel himself turning hard, and decided to get the hell out of there before someone saw him and started asking questions.

Greg snickered when he saw Nick's quick escape. It was still fun to mess with the Texans mind. He had always tried to find ways to make the older man blush, and it was quite easy, with Nick's naivety and old Texas schooling shining through.

During the last hour of his shift, Greg was planning the date. He wanted it to be something special, something they both would remember and look back on with joy fifty years from now. The Californian knew that Nick was the love of his life, but it might be smart to be done with the first date, before planning for the future. There were some questions that needed answering, but Greg was in no rush. He had promised the CSI to take it slow, and he knew that the saying; all good things come to those who wait, very much applied to this situation. He had longed for Nick for almost two years; he was not going to spoil this chance.

--

Next chapter will come tomorrow, and it will contain the date! Please review, I love to hear what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

Here's the date! Hope you'll like it! Thanks to all that have commented so far, it means a lot to me! So enjoy!

--

**Chapter 8**

The sun was high in the sky by the time Greg came home. Claudia had been three hours late, again. She was always late, and had always some lame excuse ready. The Californian knew that he should stop covering for her, but he couldn't just leave. If he left before she came, there were no one there to process the evidence that came in. He had been grumpy when she finally arrived, and had left without a word.

Today was Sunday, d-day; AKA date-day. And he forced himself to stop thinking about the other tech. He had been in a strange mood all night. Nick had asked him to keep up the act, and he had tried, really. But it had been difficult to look sad and keep snapping at people, when all he wanted to do was to sing and dance out of joy.

When he entered his apartment he went straight for the bedroom. He was exhausted. He hadn't been able to sleep much the day before; he'd been too excited planning the date. Now the plans were made, and he longed for some much needed rest. Greg was asleep the moment his head met the pillow.

-----

Hours later Greg was awoken by the annoying sound of his alarm clock. _'Noooo, I don't want to wake up, I'm too tired.'_ Seconds later his brain functions caught up and he jolted up in the bed. His eyes looked at the clock, the red numbers shoved that it was 3.30 pm. He lay down and a big grin featured his face.

'_It's d-day. Nick will be here in two and a half hour. We're going on a date. Me, Greg Sanders are going on a date with the most beautiful creature on earth. Wonder what he sees in me. I'm nothing, I'm a nobody… No, stop it! Stop talking down on yourself like that. I can do this, I can pull this off.'_

After a small pep-talk for himself, Greg got out of bed and went into the kitchen. He made some coffee and a toast, before he started preparing for the date. The butterflies in his tummy were particularly wild today. He just hoped that Nick would like it, that the date would be as perfect as he hoped.

When the clock rounded 5 he walked into the shower. All the arrangements were done, now it was beautification time. He stepped out of the shower and put a towel around his waist. After blowing his hair dry, he spent the next 20 minutes spiking it to perfection. When he was satisfied he went into the bedroom and looked for the perfect clothes. He ended up with a pair of low riding jeans that he knew made his ass look gorgeous and a black button-up shirt with an intricate red pattern. He looked in the mirror and was quite pleased with what he saw. A knock on the door drew him out of his thoughts. _'Oh. My. God. Nick is here. Okay, breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out. I can do this. Everything will be perfect. Now open the damn door!'_

-----

Nick felt exhausted. Since he had talked to Greg his life had started to resemble a roller coaster. He'd do fine as long as he was at work, just seeing the lab-tech made all his doubts disappear. The problems started when he came home.

He had willed his mind not to think about his family, but it was easier said than done. Every time he tried to sleep he would dream about his father's stern look, telling him that he was a sinner, and that he would burn in hell for what he did.

The dreams felt so real, but he didn't want to think about them. _'All I want is to be happy, to have someone to love who loves me back. Why can't I just stop worrying about what others think for one second? One second, that's all I'm asking for.'_

After waking up from yet another dream he decided to work out some. He ran the two miles from his house to the gym, and worked the weights for an hour before running home. When he came in he was so tired he just fell on the bed and slept dreamlessly for five hours.

The clock on the nightstand showed 4.45 pm when he finally woke up. Even though he felt a little stiff from the work out, he was happy he'd gotten some sleep. The CSI rose slowly from the bed, and stretched out a little before jumping in the shower.

His mind drifted off to the date, and he couldn't help the big smile that started to come out. Just thinking about Greg made him happy, and he was determined to make this the best date ever.

He had never in his life felt like this towards anyone. He'd had some girlfriends yes, but not nearly as many as his reputation told. He hadn't had a long relationship with any since he moved to Vegas, just a couple of dates and one-night-stands.

None of the relationships he had been in had felt right, there had always been something missing. He had never thought about it before, but suddenly the truth hit him. He had always thought that he was waiting for the perfect woman, when he in fact was waiting for the perfect man. And now he had found him. He knew that Greg had it all. He was all he had ever wanted. He was smart, good looking, funny, empathic, and energetic. Greg would understand what the job did to him, and he was working nights too, which was a major plus.

'_This can be my chance, my chance to have someone to hold and love for the rest of my life.'_

Strangely that thought didn't make him freak out. It made him happy and thrilled and a little scared. Not scared to be gay, but scared he was going to screw this up somehow. He made himself a promise never to let himself down again.

'_I have the right to be happy and to make my own life, and I'll be damned if anyone tries to fuck this up.'_

Feeling relaxed for the first time in years, he got out of the shower and got dressed. He chose a pair of blue jeans that his sister M.J. had bought him; she had said that his ass looked good in it, so he hoped she hadn't been playing with him. He topped it with a green button-up shirt, and drove off to Greg's place.

-----

Greg opened the door, and smiled widely to the Texan outside. He ogled him openly, and by the looks of it, he was pleased with what he saw.

"Hi. You look great cowboy."

Nick felt a blush creep up. "Thanks. So do you."

"Thank you! So are you ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready. You?"

"In a sec. I'm just going to grab some stuff. Look, do you have a jacket in your car? It might be smart to bring it."

"Yeah I've got one." The CSI looked a little confused now. "Where are we going exactly?"

"Not telling you. It's a surprise. Just get your jacket and I'll be right back."

With that the tech was gone. Nick turned back to his car, and opened the trunk to get the leather jacket he always kept there. One minute later, Greg came out. He had a big basket and a backpack with him. He grinned at the Texan before he opened his silver Jetta and motioned for Nick to join him.

Nick put his jacket in the back seat before placing himself in the passenger seat. He was not a big sucker for surprises. He liked to be in control, and abandoning it made him feel a little uneasy. It's not like he didn't trust Greg, it's just that this was a whole new situation for him, and he would feel better if he had had some type of control over it.

The minute Greg turned the ignition music was blaring from the speakers. He smiled shyly at Nick before turning the noise down. He quickly changed the cd and soon they were on their way, Metallica's The Black Album playing quietly in the background.

"So Greggo, where are we going? What've you planned for the evening?"

"I know you like to be in control Nicky, but it's good for you to let go sometimes. I won't tell you everything, some of the surprises I'm keeping. What I will tell you is that we are going on a picnic. Don't worry so much. Just trust me, I've got everything covered."

"Okay G. I'll stop worrying. And don't ask me to trust you, because I do, and I've always trusted you. A picnic sounds great by the way."

Both men relaxed a little after this and the rest of the drive was quick. They talked about everything besides work. This had been a silent agreement that neither needed to voice. They were on a date, and didn't want to think about the troubles they encountered in the lab and in the field.

-----

Half an hour later Greg slowed the car down, and for the first time Nick started to pay attention to their surroundings. They were in the desert, and he could just make out a narrow dirt road on the left side of the road. He was a little surprised when the Californian turned the vehicle that way; he had thought that the picnic would take place by Lake Mead, not in the middle of the desert.

After ten minutes Greg slowed down again and parked the car on the right side of the road, between some trees. The tech got out of the car, and Nick quickly followed him. After fetching the basket, backpack, and jackets, they started walking.

"It's not far from here. You see those rocks over there? That's where we're going."

Nick followed the lab-tech over to some big rocks, with a 20 feet tall Joshua tree standing proud next to them. When they reached the spot, Greg put the basket on the ground and got a blanket out from the backpack. He then spread the blanket in the small shadow by the tree and motioned for Nick to sit down, before sitting down beside him. They both leaned back at the rock, enjoying each others company.

The scenery was magnificent. The sun was now low in the sky, and the Texan looked forward to seeing the sunset, something he hadn't done in a long time.

"This is a great place. How did you know it was here? I'm sorry, but you just don't strike me as an outdoor person."

"Hey! What makes you think that?" Greg playfully swatted Nick's arm. The grin on his face made the words seem less serious.

"Just the way you talk. Always about clubbing and bondage and… I don't know."

"Yeah I guess. No, when I lived in Cali I loved being outside. Always down on the beach; surfing and stuff. But since I moved here, it's been more indoor activities. I found this place about one and a half year ago. I went through a rough time. My mum was always on my back begging me to move back to San Fran, and I kinda gave up in the love-department, so I just drove out, and found it. I've been coming here from time to time, when I need some time alone."

"What do you mean; you gave up in the love-department?" Nick looked at Greg, curiously now.

"You don't remember? The Kristy-thing. I gave up on you then, and I really tried to move on, but I couldn't…"

Nick still blushed when he thought about his one-night-stand with the hooker. The whole thing made him feel so naïve and farm-boyish. He had believed her when she said she wanted out, wanted to get an education. He had never felt so stupid in his whole life.

"Unfortunately I do remember. Biggest mistake I've ever made in my life. I'm glad you didn't give up totally though. I'm sorry it took me so long to see you."

"Don't think about it. We're here now, that's all that matters."

Greg leaned in on the older man, cupped his face in his hand, and kissed him softly. Nick's hands went around the other mans waist and he pulled the tech closer. The kiss deepened and they didn't break it until the lack of oxygen made them dizzy. They rested their foreheads together, marvelling in the feeling of proximity.

A rumbling sound in their stomachs made them laugh and Greg reached for the basket.

"So Greggo, what's for dinner?"

"Well, it's something we used to eat when I went to Norway in the summers. It's called spekeskinke; it's smoked and salted pork leg. It's really great. I've also got a salad, some baked potatoes, and scrambled eggs."

While he talked he put the items up on the blanket together with plates, knifes, and forks. From the small cooler in the backpack he fetched two beers. They helped themselves to the food and ate in the comfortably silent surroundings. Sitting in silence with Greg wasn't like anything Nick had never experienced before. During most of the dates he had been on, the silences would be awkward, but here it just felt right.

The food was delicious, and Nick refilled his plate three times before he put it down. He couldn't eat more even if his life depended on it. It had been a while since he had felt this full.

"Wow G. This was amazing. I've never tasted anything like it before. I'm really happy you gave me this chance to see your Norwegian inheritance."

"You're welcome. I'm just happy you liked it. I mean, I hoped you would, but you never know… Sorry, I'm kinda rambling here. This is just… I've dreamed about this for so long, I never thought it would be true, you know. And here we are, and I just want it to be perfect, and… Fuck, I'll shut up now."

Greg ducked his head down, embarrassed by his inability to stop talking.

"It's okay Greggo. I don't mind your rambling. I've never minded it. I want you to be able to say whatever you want to say to me."

Nick cupped the tech's chin and brought his face up again. Their eyes locked, and the love shining between them was almost blinding. A big smile crept into Greg's features and he scooped himself closer to the CSI. The older man put his arm around the other mans shoulders and put his chin against his chest.

They stayed like that for a long time, watching the sun set in the horizon. When the light started to disappear, Greg moved to the backpack and took out some big candles. He put them on the hard desert sand and lighted them. He then took out a portable CD-player which ran on batteries. He pushed play and turned towards the Texan.

"Dance with me?"

Nick got up and closed in on the younger man. He put his arms around the Californians waist and drew him closer. Greg placed his arms around the CSI's neck and they started swaying to the music.

**So close, no matter how far  
****Couldn't be much more from the heart  
****Forever trusting who we are  
****And nothing else matters **

**Never opened myself this way  
****Life is ours, we live it our way  
****All these words I don't just say  
****And nothing else matters **

**Trust I seek and I find in you  
****Every day for us something new  
****Open mind for a different view  
****And nothing else matters **

**Never cared for what they do  
****Never cared for what they know  
****But I know **

Metallica was one of Greg's favourite bands. He had been a fan since Master of Puppets was released in 1986. This song from The Black Album had always had a special meaning for him. It reminded him that it was okay to be different, that it was okay to be gay. Love was all that mattered.

**So close, no matter how far  
****Couldn't be much more from the heart  
****Forever trusting who we are  
****And nothing else matters **

**Never cared for what they do  
****Never cared for what they know  
****But I know**

Nick had never before listened to the lyrics of this song. He had of course heard it before. The song had been a big hit at every party he had attended some ten years prior. Now he found himself listening to the words, and they really hit him. It was as though they spoke to him, telling him that this was okay, that love was all that mattered.

**I never opened myself this way  
****Life is ours, we live it our way '  
****All these words I don't just say  
****And nothing else matters**

**Trust I seek and I find in you  
****Every day for us, something new  
****Open mind for a different view  
****And nothing else matters **

**Never cared for what they say  
****Never cared for games they play  
****Never cared for what they do  
****Never cared for what they know  
****And I know **

Greg had never felt so safe in his whole life. He wanted time to stand still; this was where he wanted to be forever. In Nick's arms, his body pressed against the Texans. Strong arms holding him tight. A small sigh escaped his lips as the song ended.

**So close, no matter how far  
****Couldn't be much more from the heart  
****Forever trusting who we are  
****No, nothing else matters**

-----

After another two hours with talking and kissing, they started to clean up. It was getting colder so they decided it was time to go home. The ride to Greg's apartment was silent, both men content with just being together.

"Eh, do you wanna come in for a while? I won't go to bed yet anyway; I'm trying not to screw up my routine even on my nights off. We could watch a movie or play some games or… anything."

Greg looked at the CSI expectantly. Hoping that he didn't push too much. He released the breath he didn't know he was holding when the older man nodded his head.

While Greg cleaned out the basket Nick found a movie he had wanted to see for a while. He had thought about watching it in the theatre when it came out last year, but had never found the time.

"Hey Greg. Does Ocean's Eleven sound good to you? I haven't seen it yet."

Greg came out from the kitchen with a puzzled look on his face.

"You haven't seen Ocean's Eleven? Man, you're in for a treat! Sure thing, I love that movie."

They sat down on the couch, Greg leaning towards Nick's chest, sitting between his legs. He had brought with him some more beers and pop corn, to eat and drink during the film. Nick's hands were placed around the younger mans waist, rubbing small circles mindlessly on his stomach. The tech put his hands on the Texans thighs, caressing them with his thumbs.

When the movie ended Greg turned around and kissed the CSI softly.

"Can you stay? I mean… We don't have to do anything. I'm just tired of sleeping alone. Please…?"

When Nick looked down he was met with those big beautiful brown eyes, looking longingly up at him. He knew then that he was lost. He didn't have a chance against the younger man. He knew he would give him anything he ever wanted.

"I'd like that G. Very much. I'm tired of sleeping alone too."

The smile on Greg's face right then, made everything worth it. Nick was in love with that smile, and he would do anything to see it again. They both got off the couch, and made their way towards the bedroom, hand in hand.

After brushing their teeth and changing into boxer and t-shirt, they lay down. It was a little awkward in the beginning, but when Greg placed his head on the Texans chest, it just felt so natural. Nick tightened his grip on the Californians back and scooped him even closer. The tech looked up at him and with a last kiss, they went to sleep.

"Good night Nicky."

"Good night G."

--

A/N: I'm sure most of you know it already, but just in case; the song is Nothing Else Matters by Metallica. For the two last chapters the ratings will go up to M. So the story won't come automatically on the front-page. The easiest is to have the story on story alert, or you can change the ratings to include all not just up to T. I will update tomorrow and on Wednesday if I can make it!

Well, I hope you like it so far, please review!


	9. Chapter 9

Okay! So this is from now on a M-rated fic! There will be male/male- smut in a very grafic way, so if you're not into it, don't read! To the others: Enjoy!

--

**Chapter 9**

Over the next couple of weeks, Nick and Greg spent all their free time together. They were mostly at Greg's apartment; Nick was still not content to be in his house since the Nigel Crane-incident. They had had two more dates since the first one; on one they went to the theatre and on the other they went out to dinner. Life seemed great for both men.

It was now three and a half week since their first date, and tonight they were both off from work. This was their first joint night off since that Sunday. Life at work had become both more difficult and better at the same time. Being on the same shift made it better because they got to see each other all the time, it also, however, made it increasingly difficult.

They had mutually decided that they didn't want people on work to know about them just yet. Nick was not ready to come out as gay, and he was worried about how the PD would take it; if the homophobia within the police force would make his job harder and unsafe. This decision meant that they couldn't talk and touch like they wanted to, they had to think about their bearings all the time.

But tonight was their night, and all they wanted was to be together; to forget about the outside world for a while. After the shift was done, Nick went home to get some clothes, before going to Greg's place for some much needed sleep.

-----

When Nick woke up later that day, he was alone in bed. He could feel that the sheet beside him was still warm, so Greg hadn't been up for long. The Texan stretched his body before he walked into the bath room to empty his bladder. After he was done washing his hands, he went into the living room were he could hear Greg talking on the phone.

"Jada mamma, jeg skal snakke med ham… Ikke mas, jeg vet ikke om vi får fri fra jobben engang… Ja… Jada… Jeg har lovet å prøve, du kan ikke be om mer… Ja, jeg vet det… Sorry mamma, jeg lover å gjøre alt jeg kan. Ok?... Det er greit, å Nick har stått opp, vi snakkes senere ok?... Glad i deg og, hils pappa… Ok, ha det!"

Greg turned around in the couch looking at his boyfriend, at least he hoped they were boyfriends, they hadn't really been talking about it yet. He gave the older man a big smile while he stood up from the couch, closed the small distance between them to give him a good morning kiss.

"Morning hun. Slept well?"

"Morning. Great thanks. Who were you talking to?"

"My mum. You curious or what?"

"Hell yeah! I'm assuming that was Norwegian, honestly I didn't understand any of it, except for my name and sorry. So what did she want?"

The tech smirked at the other man, before turning to walk into the kitchen. Some coffee and breakfast would be good right now.

"Yeah that was Norwegian. My mum and I always talk Norwegian to each other, makes us remember the language you know. She called to invite us to San Francisco for Thanksgiving. I told her I would talk to you. And of course ask Griss if we can get the holiday off."

He turned around to look at the CSI, who by now had gone quite pale. Greg got a little agitated by this, he had after all promised to go slow.

"Look Nicky. We don't have to go. It's no big deal actually. If you want to go home to Texas, you should do that. Or we could just stay here. It's up to you really. I don't care. My mum just asked, so that we could make reservations in time if we decide to go there. Please Nick, I didn't mean to pressure you or anything. Please talk to me, say something."

Nick sat down hard on the couch. His face was pale and his eyes showed a mixture of being terrified and confused. Greg walked up to him and sat down on his knees in front of the Texan. The young lab tech was pleading with the older man now.

"Please Nicky, say something. I don't want to loose you. We don't have to go. It's just that my mum really wants to meet you. If it's too soon, just say so. I don't care. All I want is to be with you. Please Nick. Tell me what you're thinking."

Nick's hands were shaking now. He really didn't know what to say. He looked up into Greg's face. The tech's hands were lying atop his own.

"What are we Greggo?"

"Huh?"

The look in the CSI's face was intense.

"What are we?"

Greg was both a little startled and confused by the question, but he thought he knew what the other was asking for. He looked down on their joint hands for a second before locking eyes with the Texan again.

"Well. I hope, I mean… I would really like to say that you're my boyfriend. If that's okay with you of course."

"Is that it?"

"Yeah, I mean…" Greg was squirming now. "We date, right?" When the other man nodded, he continued. "If you'd dated a girl for this long, would you call her your girlfriend?"

"Uh, I guess."

"Exactly. So therefore I'm kinda thinking about us as boyfriends."

Nick got a look of realization on his face. After a few seconds, a small smile crept into his features, and he visibly relaxed.

"So, are you okay with that?" The Californian wasn't sure what to think.

"Yeah." The smile widened now. "I am G; really. I would like for you to be my boyfriend."

Greg felt like a ton of weight was lifted off his shoulders. He smiled from ear to ear, and quickly drew the older man into a tight embrace. The Texan drew the smaller man closer to him, lifting him onto his lap. Their lips met in a searing, frantic, and hungry kiss. Neither man wanted to let go, but soon the need for breath broke them apart. They kept their foreheads together; neither wanted to loose the closeness between them.

"So, are you hungry hun? I can make us some breakfast." Greg was caressing Nick's cheek with his thumb, loving the feeling of the small stubs.

"That sounds delicious. Some coffee would do good to."

Both men rose from the couch, and hand in hand they walked into the kitchen. While Greg was making the coffee, the older man put his arms around the slim waist in front of him.

"I'll think about it, okay? I can't make any promises, but I will think about it."

With the machine turned on, the tech turned around and cupped Nick's face. Greg's thumb gently caressed the Texan's lips. The lab rat moved forward and kissed the older mans nose.

"That's all I'm asking, hun. All I'm asking… Now let's see, what to make for breakfast."

After the blueberry pancakes were devoured, the two men sat down on the couch to watch a movie. It was Greg's turn to pick, and he was a little nervous to what the older man would think about his choice.

"Okay. So this is an English movie called Beautiful Thing. When I was at Stanford, two friends and I went to the Reel Affirmations in DC. We saw this film there, and I just remembered it a couple of weeks ago. So I went online and ordered it, and it got here yesterday. I kinda hope you'll like it too."

"I'm sure I'll like it. By the way, what's Reel Affirmations? I've never heard of it before."

Greg laughed a little inside by his not-so-worldly-known boyfriend; it was one of the things that he really loved about him.

"Reel Affirmations is a huge film festival that takes place in DC every October. It's for gay and lesbian movies. There's like tens of thousands that attend it. Maybe we could go there some time."

Nick ducked his head to hide the blush that kept threatening to arise. He was aware that his boyfriend was way hipper than him; that he knew more about these sorts of things, but he felt a little ashamed anyway.

"Sure G, we'll see about that. So this is a gay movie?"

The lab-tech was now returning to the couch, the remote in his hand, ready to start the film. He looked over at the Texan, a small pout on his lips, and begging eyes.

"Yeah, it is. But it's just soo cute. Please watch it with me?"

Nick had no chance to resist that look, so he just smiled at the younger man and scooped him into his arms.

"Of course I'll watch it with you. Anything for you Greggo."

The Californian grinned up at him and gave him a sweet kiss, before turning to make himself more comfortable. With his back against the CSI's chest and strong Texan arms around his waist he hit the play button.

-----

**Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you  
****Sweet dreams that leave all worries far behind you  
****But in your dreams whatever they be  
****Dream a little dream of me**

When the last words of the movie faded; both men let out a small sigh. If anyone but Greg had asked, Nick would refuse with his whole being that he had been touched by the story. But thankfully no one else was there, so he admitted to the tech that the movie was indeed cute, and that it had touched him deeply.

"I'm so happy you liked it Nick. I haven't seen it since '96 myself, but it was all that I remembered, and a little bit more. Jamie and Ste are just so cute together. So what do you want to do now?"

Nick was still thinking about the movie, and revelled in the wonderful feeling of having someone in his arms, someone he cared for, maybe even loved.

"Could we just stay like this? It just feels so good to hold you right now."

Greg looked lovingly at the Texan and nodded, he didn't want to move either. To feel those strong arms holding him, cherish him, was something he didn't want to live without. He knew now that he wasn't just in love with Nick; he loved him with all his heart and soul, and would probably die if he ever lost him. The tech was about to doze off when he heard a quiet whisper.

"I think I'm ready now."

Not sure if he had heard it or if it was a figure of his mind, he had to ask.

"Huh?"

"I think I'm ready now."

Greg lifted himself up a bit so he could see the older mans eyes.

"Are you sure? I mean, really sure?"

When Nick nodded he could see no insecurities in his eyes. There was some fright, but even more desire and love.

"I want this. I'll admit that I'm scared, but I want you to make love to me. And I want to make love to you."

The younger man saw the sincerity in the Texans face, and just nodded back. He cupped the older mans face and kissed him intently, pouring all his trust and love into that one kiss. When he backed out he stood up and put his hand out.

"I'd love to make love to you, and I want you to make love to me. If you feel any doubt or want to stop at any time, just say so. I don't want to pressure you into anything. Your first time should be special and perfect."

Nick took the offered hand, and let himself be led to the bedroom. He was scared, but he trusted Greg with all his heart and knew that he would never do anything to hurt him. He wanted them to be one, to be boyfriends for real. Friends, boyfriends, and lovers.

"Don't worry babe, I'll take good care of you."

-----

In the bedroom Greg went over to the stereo and put on some soft music. He dimmed the lights before returning to Nick. He slowly started to take both their clothes of, making sure that they were equally naked.

After removing the t-shirts he kissed his way down Nick's upper body. Starting at the forehead, moving up and down the jaw line until he stopped to pay better attention to one of the earlobes. Sucking and gently biting the lobe till he heard a small moan escape the Texans mouth, before moving on to the other.

He continued his explorations down the neck, sucking on the Adams apple and was elated when he found a particularly sensitive spot on the older mans collarbone. Greg ran his tongue over the spot, kissed it, and sucked on it till Nick was almost screaming of desire.

Slowly and gently he guided his lover towards the king size bed. When Nick was lying down he carried on, moving downwards. He wanted to know every sensitive spot, every freckle and every scar the older man had. Everything was stored in his mind for later use. He soon learned that the nipples were another sensitive spot, making Nick squirm underneath him, moaning loudly.

After kissing every part of Nick's outstanding muscled abdomen, Greg moved up again and claimed his mouth. The power that met him from the Texan surprised him, and showed him just how aroused the CSI was.

With a look the tech was granted permission to continue to the next level. While they were still kissing, his right hand moved down and started unzipping Nick's jeans. The older man bucked his hips and Greg slid the jeans down. He untangled himself and removed the garment totally, along with socks and his own pair of jeans and socks.

The lab-tech moved his hands up towards the only pair of clothing that was left. He locked eyes with Nick and after a small nod both their boxers were gone. Greg ogled the other man openly, admiring the strong muscled body.

He moved up again, and the kiss they shared was loaded with lust and desire. The younger man had made sure that no parts of their bodies were touching until he now lowered himself down. When the naked erections met for the first time it was electrifying. Nick moaned at the sensation and thrusted his hips up for more connection and friction.

They moved their hips in union, building up for the eruption. Before they got to the edge, Greg stilled their movements. Nick groaned, but was soon rendered speechless by a new sensation. Greg had quickly kissed his way down, and was now sucking on Nick's balls. While sucking on one, he rolled the other in his hand before switching.

Begging sounds from Nick made him stop teasing, and he slowly took all he could muster of Nick's cock in his mouth. Nick screamed out from the pleasure, and couldn't stop himself from thrusting even if he wanted to. Greg however was prepared for this and had his hands on the Texans hips to prevent him from choking him. He used every trick he knew, sucking up and down the length, trailing the delicate vein with his tongue. When Greg sucked hard on the head Nick couldn't hold on any more. With a cry he came into the tech's mouth, who swallowed every ounce and continued sucking until the older man was entirely spent.

Nick couldn't move any part of his body; he had never felt this spent after an orgasm in his entire life. He could sense Greg moving up, and the taste of himself in the others mouth made his cock twist. He could feel Greg's hard member against his thigh, and he knew that he wanted, no needed, to be inside the younger man.

"G? Please… I want…" The orgasm had taken all coherent thought away, and he couldn't even manage to string together a whole sentence. He just hoped that the tech understood him.

"What Nicky? Do you want to fuck me?"

When the words entered Nick's sensory overloaded brain, his cock came to life again. He was amazed that it was so hard already, only five minutes after a breathtaking orgasm, but he wasn't complaining. When he felt Greg move away from him he finally opened his eyes. He saw him grab something from the nightstand drawer, before lying down on his back.

"I'm yours Nicky. Do what you want."

The Texan raised himself up and looked at the younger mans body. He trailed the toned muscles with his hand, before following his fingers with his mouth. The ministrations sent shivers down Greg's spine; the anticipation was almost killing him. He wanted this to last; he didn't want to come until Nick was inside him.

When the CSI stuck his tongue out to taste the pre-cum leaking from Greg's rock hard cock, it was almost too much for the lab-tech, but it wasn't until Nick started sucking him that he lost all chance to last long. He came fast and hard inside the older mans mouth. The Texan was surprised when the cum entered his mouth but swallowed it on instinct. The taste wasn't as bad as he had initially thought, a little salty and bitter, but so essentially Greg that he continued sucking until the last drop was savoured.

Nick moved up and latched himself to the other mans lips, the kiss deepening as Greg got his strength back. When the tech's brain finally had caught up he moved his hand over the bed and put the lube in Nick's hand.

"You need to prepare me. I can't take you yet. Put some lube on your fingers, start with one, and then add more as I tell you."

Nick nodded and opened the bottle. Greg drew his knees up, to give the older man better access. When he felt the digit between his ass-cheeks he relaxed and let the finger slide in. It had been a while since the last time, but he wasn't a virgin, so he was soon ready for another.

The CSI put more lube on and pushed two fingers slowly inside. When he brushed past a hard bundle of something he stopped, Greg had started squirming and let out a cry.

"Did I do something wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No, no, no, don't stop. That was my prostate. Soo good. Keep going baby."

'_Oh yeah, the prostate.'_ Nick could remember someone saying that that was like the male g-spot or something. He brushed the nerve bundle again, and saw Greg's eyes roll up in pleasure, more moans escaping his lips and his hips thrusting. _'Wow, it's that good? Well obviously, judging by Greg's reaction anyway. I never thought it could be that good.'_

"I'm ready now Nicky. Please… Make love to me."

Nick was quickly brought out of his thoughts by the begging sound of his lover. He could hear a wrapper being thorn, and soon after felt Greg's hand on his cock, putting on the condom. He coated his member in lube, before positioning himself between the tech's legs.

When he pushed inside, it felt like heaven, like coming home. So tight, so beautiful, so amazing. He started to move slowly in and out, before Greg's voice penetrated his thoughts.

"Harder Nicky. Fuck me harder. Fuck me like a man."

The words came through, and he started pounding into the other man. Moving almost out, and then thrust in again with all the strength he had, trying to hit the prostate with every thrust. Greg put his legs around the other mans waist and their moves matched perfectly. As the edge drew nearer the thrusts became faster, until both men cried out as the second orgasm of the night hit them.

Nick could feel Greg's feet leave his waist as he slumped down on top of his boyfriend. Neither could muster the strength to move or speak for almost five minutes. Not wanting to smother the smaller man under him, the Texan gathered the last of his strength to lie down beside the Californian and toss the used condom in the bin next to the bed.

Greg reached out to the nightstand beside him and found some Kleenex to wipe up the cum that was on his and Nick's chest and stomach. After throwing it towards the bin, he moved over to lie his head on the other mans chest. He grabbed the comforter and put it over them. Feeling the Texan pulling him closer, he sighed with content. No words were needed; they both knew what the other was thinking.

When he was sure the older man was asleep, Greg too closed his eyes. "Jeg elsker deg Nicky, mer enn du kanskje noen gang vil forstå. Jeg vil gjøre alt for deg. Elsker deg nå, og for alltid." He kissed the muscled chest beneath him. Soon after, sleep overtook him.

--

A/N: So I guess some translating is in order!

Greg on the phone: "Yes mom, I'll talk to him... Don't nag, I don't even know if I'll get the time off from work... Yes.. YES... I've promised to try, you can't ask for more... Yeah, I know... Sorry mom, I promise to do all I can. Okay?... That's okay, oh Nick's up, we'll talk later okay?... Love you too, say hi to dad... Okay, bye!"

Greg at the end: "I love you Nicky, more than you maybe ever will understand. I'll do anything for you. Love you now, and forever."

Okay! That's the Norwegian for you! The lyrics is from the song Dream A Little Dream Of Me by Mama Cass, from the movie Beautiful Thing, which by the way is one of my favorite movies, it's just so beautiful! Hugely recommended to see if you have the time and find it!

So I hope you enjoyed it! The last chapter will be posted either tomorrow or Thursday. Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

Here it is! The last chapter of this story! I want thank all of you who have reviewed and read this little story about how Nick and Greg became a couple! I hope you've enjoyed it.

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**Chapter 10**

**Once I believed that when love came to me  
****It would come with rockets, bells and poetry  
****But with me and you, it just started quietly and grew  
****And believe it or not  
****Now there's something groovy and good  
****'Bout whatever we got**

**And it's getting better  
****Growing stronger, warm and wilder  
****Getting better everyday, better every day**

**I don't feel all turned on and starry eyed  
****I just feel a sweet contentment deep inside  
****Holding you at night just seems kind of natural and right  
****And it's not hard to see  
****That it isn't half of what it's going to turn out to be**

**Cause it's getting better  
****Growing stronger, warm and wilder  
****Getting better everyday, better everyday**

**And I don't mind waitin', don't mind waitin'  
****'Cause no matter how long it takes  
****The two of us know**

**That it's getting better  
****Growing stronger, warm and wilder  
****Getting better everyday, better everyday**

-----

Nick woke up with the most amazing feeling the next day. He was so happy, he just wanted to scream from the top of his lungs; I love Greg Sanders! He wanted to sing and dance and hug every person on this planet, but most of all he just wanted to stay right where he was; in bed, holding Greg, for the rest of his life.

The weight of Greg's head on his chest was perfect; the warmth from the tech's breathing and the hair that tickled his chin. Without thinking his hand had started caressing the younger mans back. Small circles were carefully drawn from the shoulders down the spine to the ass. He could feel Greg stir, but not wake up.

'_Why does this seem so wrong to so many people?'_ Nick knew that his life would change the day he was outed. There are many men and woman around the world who looks at homosexuality as the greatest sin, worse than murder or child-abuse.

He knew that his own family was amongst those people, maybe not that extreme, but still; they looked at his love as a sin, as a disease; something you could get rid of. Nick himself had believed that at one point. But his view had changed while he was in college.

At A&M he had had a good friend named Christian, who was from New York. Chris had one night confided him that he was gay. At first he had been shocked, then angry, and at last he had accepted it. They had known each other for over a year before the confession came. When he had thought back there was nothing that told him that Chris was sick. He was just like himself and all the other guys he knew.

After this revelation his whole view on not just homosexuality, but also on Christianity and the church had changed. He still believed in God, but he did not call himself a Christian, and he had stopped attending church. The God that he believed in was not judgemental; he didn't condemn people to hell just because they were in love with someone from the same sex as themselves. Nick's God loved that people were different; in fact that was His intention. The Bible says that men were created in His image; blue, green or brown eyes; blond, black or red hair; straight, gay or lesbian; they were all His children, and He loved all of them.

His parents had been furious of him, when he had told them that he wouldn't come to services with them anymore. The only times he went to church now was to go to a wedding, a funeral, a baptising or a confirmation. He couldn't stand the way a lot of priest portrayed God, like he was some vindictive, evil, unforgivable creature. His God was kind and loving. He had after all created this wonderful world, and this marvellous person that lay next to him.

Even though he now had accepted that he was gay, Nick was still scared. He wasn't scared of his own feelings and emotions anymore, but he was terrified of what other people would say and do if they found out. He loved his family and didn't want to loose them; especially his mum.

Nick didn't trust people easily. Being molested at the age of nine had made him more secluded and wary of others. His mum was in fact the only person he had ever trusted enough to tell about the babysitter, until Catherine had almost dragged it out of him when they were working on a case. He had only told his co-worker the big picture, his mum was the only one who knew it all. He had told her when he was in high school; after working too hard too long he had finally broken down and told her everything. She had felt so guilty afterwards and would still to this day beg him for forgiveness for leaving him that night. He had of course forgiven her a long time ago, but he needed her to be there for him. He didn't think he would loose her love if she knew he was gay, but he knew she would be disappointed; and he never wanted to do that to her.

Laying there, feeling the warmth radiating from his lover made him realize that this was someone else that he could trust. He knew that he could tell Greg everything, that this would not drive the Californian away. It would probably just make his love stronger; to know that Nick needed him. This feeling of having another person he could trust with his life, made the Texan relax even more; it was all he had ever dreamed of; to have someone to love, to trust, to share everything with.

Nick pulled the younger man even closer to him; he needed to feel all of him, to be one with him. He could never let go now; he wouldn't let any of his scares get in the way of this relationship. He loved Greg too much to ever give up on him, or let him give up on Nick. He knew that they had only been together for less than a month; but he also knew that they both were in it for the long haul. He could see his own feelings in Greg's eyes, feel it in his touch and kisses, hear it in his words. They were soul mates, they were meant to be together.

-----

With all distance gone between them now, Nick could feel hard evidence against his thigh that his ministrations on the younger mans back and ass had some affect. He was getting hard himself, and wanted Greg to wake up; he needed a repeat of last night. While he tried to wake the sleeping beauty up his mind wandered to what had happened only nine hours prior. The sight of the tech when he had thrust into him was something he would never forget. The Texan wanted them to have an equal relationship, he didn't want them to be only top or bottom. He wasn't sure if he was ready yet, but he badly wanted to feel what Greg had felt, he wanted to be Greg's man just as Greg now was Nick's man.

"Greg baby, wake up. Please baby, I need you, I want you to make love to me. Please wake up G."

Greg had had the most wonderful dream, and woke up to an even better sight. He could feel he was aroused, the Texan's hand caressing his back lazily. He just wanted to lie there forever, not move an inch, but the older mans words made his heart jump, and his eyes flew open.

"Are you sure? I mean, this is awfully new to you."

The Californian moved his head so he could see the other mans eyes; desire and pure need radiated from them.

"I'm sure babe. I want us to be equal in this relationship; I want to be yours just like you became mine last night. And I want to feel what you felt; I want that look on my face too."

Nick's words made his erection grow harder. He had wanted this for so long, but hadn't dared to believe that the older man was ready for it. The lab-tech moved up so they were face to face, cupped the Texan's face and kissed him slowly. The kiss deepened soon and didn't end until both men were out of breath. Greg looked at the beautiful man below him, his love growing more with each second that passed.

"I'd love to make love to you. We'll take it slow. If you don't like it, or feel uncomfortable just say so and we'll stop. It's your first time, and it will feel a little weird. It will hurt a bit, but I'll try to make it as painless as I can. Thank you for trusting me sweetie."

Greg kissed Nick again, he could feel that the older man was tense and knew he had to make him relax if the CSI was going to enjoy any of this.

"Turn around sweetie and close your eyes. You really need to relax. Trust me."

The Texan turned over to lie on his stomach, he wanted this, but that didn't chase away the fright. He could hear a bottle pop open, and felt his whole body tense. He wanted to see what the younger man was doing, but had been told to close his eyes, so he obeyed. He almost jumped when he felt Greg's hands on his smaller back. A smell of lavender reached his nose, and the hands on his back rubbed the oil into the skin. Nick could feel the tension disappear, his body reacting to the massage.

Greg worked on the CSI's back with his thumbs and palms, trying to get all the knots and tension away. When he felt that the muscles underneath his hands were totally relaxed, he leaned down and kissed Nick's ear. He sucked on the lobe while his hands caressed the broad backside. He kissed his way down, making sure to peck every little spot, freckle and tiny scar.

"Move to your back sweetie, I want you to be able to see what I'm doing."

Nick moved over, and was met with a long, passionate kiss, which he reciprocated with all the desire that dwelt inside him. The tech's hands were roaming all over his body, until they settled next to his groin. The Texan could feel his erection screaming for attention and tried to move to get some friction for it.

The Californian broke the kiss, and looked down at him, eyes full of love and lust. The young man quickly kissed his way down the others chest, only stopping to nip at the nipples. Soon he found himself at his goal, and he dived in with everything he had in him.

The CSI screamed and bucked his hips when he felt Greg deep throat him, the lab-tech's nose touching the pubic hair on his lower stomach. No one had ever done that to him before. Most of the girls he had been with had resented even touching his cock, and here he had a man who seemed to love going down on him. The feeling of love and passion was almost overwhelming.

Greg was great at sucking. He had learned some tricks through the years, and now he was using them all; biting, licking, sucking and deep-throating. It made Nick come in record time, feeling like a teenager with hormones raging; not the thirty two year old he really was. His mind was on overload, and the orgasm had been so powerful he was surprised he didn't faint; thankful at least of that; because how embarrassing would that be?

The young tech moved up and kissed the older mans face, while he waited for him to come down from his high. When he felt him starting to return the kisses, he withdrew a little.

"Do you want more?"

Nick might still be scared, but he hadn't landed from the orgasm yet; so all he could do was grin and nod. He saw Greg reach out for lube and a condom, anticipation rising in him. The Californian moved Nick so they were on their sides facing each other. He brought the Texan's foot up and around his waist. He coated up one finger, and slowly started preparing the virgin next to him.

Greg continued kissing the older man, while his finger circled the hole. When he felt Nick relax he slowly pushed the finger in.

It was quite weird to have something inside his ass, he wasn't sure if he could enjoy this. Then suddenly the most amazing feeling jolted through him. Greg had found his prostate, and was now touching it with every thrust. It was a feeling he had never felt before; it made his cock twist and he could see stars on the back of his eyelids.

Nick whimpered when the finger disappeared, but it was soon replaced by two. Greg took his time with the preparations; he didn't want the pain to be too much for the Texan. He scissored his fingers, stretching the CSI's hole. When three lube coated fingers were entered, the tech had to strain himself. He needed to do this slow, rushing would not benefit his lover.

When Greg felt that his boyfriend was ready, he asked him to move to his hands and knees. He would have wanted to see that beautiful face and kiss him, but he knew that this position was the best when it was the first time. He put the rubber on his cock, and coated it with lube. He put his hands on Nick's hips and slowly started entering. When the head was in, he stopped and waited for the other man to relax. He stroked the Texan's back and whispered sweet words in Norwegian.

"Slapp av kjære, dette går bra. Jeg elsker deg så utrolig høyt, takk for at du stoler på meg. Elsker deg, elsker deg, elsker deg."

The words and the caressing had the desired effect. Nick relaxed, and allowed the tech to move again. Agonizingly slow he entered, until all of him was inside that beautiful tight ass. After more soothing words, and kisses on the CSI's neck he started moving; angling every thrust to hit the older mans prostate.

Nick felt like he would black out any minute. Every thrust made him crave for more; he needed more, more Greg, more of this marvellous amazing feeling. He couldn't stand this slow pace any more.

"More please G… Faster… Please."

Greg obeyed and quickened his thrusts, trying hard to stay in control; to not pound into the older man like he wanted to. He moved fast, but still with less force than he could have used. Too hard could make damages, and he didn't want that. He kept his left hand on the Texans hip, the other he moved around to stroke Nick's cock.

The sensation soon became too much for Nick, the massage of his prostate, combined with the jerking off made him come hard and screaming out Greg's name. When the Texans orgasm hit, his inner muscles clamped down around Greg's cock and with only two more thrusts he also came, seeing stars and panting hard.

With his last drop of strength, Greg eased his now soft member out of Nick and lay beside him on his back. He scooped the older man closer, putting the Texan's head against his racing heart. The CSI had a look of pure bliss on his face from the two orgasms. Nick moved his head a bit to look up at the younger man.

"Wow… That was just… Wow. Thank you babe."

"No, thank you Nicky. Thank you for trusting me and loving me."

The lab-tech grinned down at his lover; it was rare to hear him struggle to form sentences. He held his boyfriend harder, and soon they both drifted of to sleep.

-----

After some more sleep, and a not-so-quick shared shower, they started to make breakfast. While Greg was in the kitchen, cooking eggs, bacon and toast, Nick was watching him from the couch. He felt sore, but it was of the good kind. His mind was filled with love for the young tech.

The Texan knew that this was a love of the forever-kind. The future might hold obstacles for them, and not be a dance on roses all the time; but together they would manage and come through anything alive and stronger. Their love was strong and they would conquer everything that life put them through. 'Cause now he belonged to Greg and Greg belonged to him. They were two and at the same time one.

Nick rose from the couch, went to the kitchen and put his arms around the younger mans waist; hugging him close.

"Te amo, querido."

"Jeg elsker deg, kjæreste."

THE END

--

A/N: The song is It's Getting Better by Mamas and the Papas.

Translation:

Greg to Nick during the act: "Relax sweetie, you're okay. I love you so unbelievably much, thanks for trusting me. Love you, love you, love you."

At the end (both in Norwegian and Spanish): "I love you, my love."


End file.
